


One Soul to Cross the River

by champagne_cake



Series: Kuroshitsuji Frozen II AU [1]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Blood and Injury, December 14th, Frostbite, Frozen II AU, Gen, Ice Powers, Wintertime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26523187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/champagne_cake/pseuds/champagne_cake
Summary: The Phantomhive line was blessed with the gift of controlling and manifesting ice. This gift was expressed in the previous earl, Vincent, and eventually his eldest son, Ciel.But as fate may have it, a cruel, fiery siege on Phantomhive Manor would extinguish these gifts on their tenth birthday. Earl Vincent, Countess Rachel, their youngest son, and Ciel’s abilities all perished in the flames.Or did they?Frozen II AU.
Relationships: Ciel Phantomhive & Real Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian Michaelis & Ciel Phantomhive
Series: Kuroshitsuji Frozen II AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1928602
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Unseen

**Author's Note:**

> This is a more fleshed-out version of [“All is Found,”](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037485) the Frozen II AU one-shot I wrote a while ago. The main character in the story is Our Ciel, and Real Ciel is mentioned/will come up later in the story, but I’ll only be using the name Ciel in the story, because I don’t have a headcanon for what I think O!Ciel’s name is. I apologize in advance for any confusion that may cause, however, I’ll do my best to use contextual language/pre-chapter author’s notes to help distinguish which twin is being referred to throughout the story!
> 
> In this chapter, any mention of things Ciel does following the house fire automatically refers to O!Ciel, because he is operating under the pretence of R!Ciel, and leading the public to believe he lost his ice powers.

It started out with little things here and there. Particularly a loss of focus. Consciousness. Direction.

Normally, Lord Ciel Phantomhive was alert. Capable. Intelligent. A master strategist capable of taking on the dangerous responsibilities of the Queen’s watchdog, though also a bit of a tragedy in the public eye. He rose from ashes after an assault on Phantomhive Manor, leaving no survivors outside of himself and Tanaka, the previous family butler.

He returned, however, almost like an entirely different person.

The Phantomhive line was blessed with the gift of controlling and manifesting ice. This gift was expressed in the previous earl, Vincent, through protecting the Queen’s land and people from catastrophic blizzards and entertaining the villagers of Phantomhive domain with exquisite ice sculptures in the wintertime.

Eventually, it would be passed on to his eldest son, Ciel. But as fate may have it, a cruel, fiery siege on Phantomhive Manor would extinguish these gifts on their tenth birthday. Earl Vincent, Countess Rachel, their youngest son, and Ciel’s abilities all perished in the flames.

When he returned lacking his supernatural talent, Ciel started a toy business and focused exclusively on his responsibilities to Queen Victoria, where he remained for the past three years.

One moment, Lord Phantomhive could be deep in thought, analyzing revenue reports from his Funtom stores — crossing a busy street — practicing the violin — the next, blankly staring off into space, entranced by an unseen force. A voice only he could hear — a mysterious signal.

Of course, it’d only gotten _dangerous_ once or twice — merely an annoyance for his butler otherwise. Sebastian waved it off for a while as ordinary childish distraction. However, he remained alert. It reached a crux one early December evening, when he caught the young earl sleepwalking…or was he?

Wearing nothing more than his typical nightclothes and chamber robe, Ciel stood barefoot in the snowy front lawn — body shivering from homeostatic instinct, but limbs remaining still. He appeared frozen in place, like those who met the gaze of Medusa — but existing as organic matter. Living, but not present. Crystal blue eyes stared off into dark, snowy nothingness, utterly enamored…lost…confused by something unseen to the human (or demonic, for that matter) eye.

He didn’t acknowledge Sebastian as he approached, dark leather brogues encroaching the smaller footprints left by the earl.

**“My lord.”**

He had hardly raised his voice, yet it was more than enough to snap his master out of his trance. Broken from hypnosis, Ciel jumped as everything registered all at once — _the cold, his butler, where he was located._ Chills ran through his entire body as he collapsed — his heart raced, and his breathing began to falter dangerously close to hyperventilation.

Heaving, Ciel yelped in pain. _“Sebastian?”_

_Bloody hell, it’s getting worse. How did I get here? Why am I doing this? Why…can I hardly remember how I got here…_

Brows furrowing in concern, Sebastian reached forth to raise him from the snow. “Good grief. They believe the full moon is prone to encouraging lunacy, but this is simply excessive.”

He carried the boy back to the manor, prepared a bucket of hot water, and laid the passed-out earl down in a pile of heavy blankets. Lightly pressing a heated hand towel to Ciel’s forehead, Sebastian retreated to the corner of the master bedroom with his candelabra.

 _3:00 AM,_ tolled the grandfather clock in the drawing room. The earl would likely sleep through the night, however, what had occurred was not a matter to be ignored. A detriment to the earl’s own self-preservation would serve as a challenge to Sebastian’s role as a butler. While he was more than capable entering the contract, they needed to pin down a cause in order to fully understand the effects.


	2. Undetermined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantomhives have a new mission.

“I was falling asleep, when I heard a strange voice. Then…I don’t remember anything before you found me outside.”

Ciel coughed — voice still hoarse from the incident the previous night, before quietly taking a sip of his morning tea. He knew it wasn't a helpful response. What had caused him to be in such a vulnerable place — caught off-guard so many instances at this point?

They had believed initially that the mysterious changes to biological and emotional well-being within Wolfsschlucht were caused by a strange miasma. Could something similar be the case once again?

 _It’s too direct. It seems to be immediate targeting._ Sebastian retrieved a letter from a tray.

“The Queen’s butlers delivered a letter for you earlier this morning.”

_My dear boy,_

_I'm writing to you in great despair. Within the past few months, there have been an increased number of shipwrecks off the course of the North Sea. Due to an increase in highly dangerous storms, which seem to occur out of natural weather patterns for our part of the world,_ _England has lost a number of our commercial fishing vessels. Most recently, the Canicula, which was captained by one of my own relatives._

_I understand you no longer wield the supernatural powers you were blessed with at birth, but I must protect and assure the people of our country. Thus, I am asking you with a heavy heart — please set off toward the North Sea to resolve these phenomena, and ease my qualms._

_Sending my finest regards,_

_Queen Victoria_

Ciel’s chest tightened, and he felt, for a split second — weakness. It was never something he would _show_ as Earl Phantomhive, or even as Ciel. These emotions came and went, for he was only human. He kept these anomalies under strict lock and key. All the more reason to prevent compromise.

“Sebastian. We have a mission to the North Sea.”

“The North Sea,” Sebastian reiterated. “The body of water separating England and Norway — often cited in Scandinavian folklore as the home of gods and sirens infamous for claiming souls across their journey. There’s even an old legend from Ferring, Denmark, which tells of the sea claiming one human soul each year. In return, the waters would not break into the land. Thus, once a year, a young child was taken out to sea in a wooden barrel — lest terrible damage befall the lands surrounding.”

The silence was deafening.

“That’s an old wives’ tale,” Ciel dismissed, frowning as he set aside the teacup and saucer. “Even if there was truth behind it, why would it claim so many lives all at once, as opposed to only one? I no longer hold control over weather patterns, no. But I do have a duty as the Queen's guard dog. Prepare the servants for a journey to Aberdeen Harbor. We'll likely be gone awhile, so the manor will have to be guarded by Soma and Agni.”

A master as dedicated to his human responsibilities as fervently as he was to the contract. That was nothing the demon hadn't come to expect from the earl, yet he was still only a human — only a child. Getting ahead of matters before tying down loose ends would only tie them down as the journey progressed.

“Queen Victoria is requesting you investigate a series of deaths and unnatural — _possibly supernatural_ — weather anomalies associated with the North Sea — the body also associated with the history of your family.”

_“Are you questioning my authority?”_

“Negative,” Sebastian confirmed. “It is only in my position as your butler, to address the recent string of incidents affecting your health.”

“Are you implying I’m not fit to carry out the duties I _chose_ to carry on?”

“My implication is that compromise to yourself will compromise the mission. It will compromise House Phantomhive.”

Ciel rescinded. “…Indeed. First, we must pinpoint the cause of these lapses.”

_“First,”_ Sebastian corrected, examining his pocket watch. “Breakfast this morning will be a broiled salmon-trout filet served with barley bread, honeycomb, and cranberries. It is time to rise, my lord."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canicula is the Latin name for the Sirius constellation.


	3. Unfaltering

“What seems to unite all of these instances is a hypnotic pause — a loss of focus.”

“I’m not just _merely losing focus_ when these incidents happen,” Ciel sighed, straightening the papers atop his desk. “It appears to be something against my will. I’m here one moment, gone another. I can’t remember anything in between.”

The enigma frustrated him. As an earl to a noble household and a young mastermind, he disliked lacking full autonomy over his mind and body.

 _Like a case of radial hypnosis,_ Sebastian pondered. “My lord, I’ll arrange for a journey to Scotland to investigate the North Sea incidents,” Sebastian bowed, the same as ever in his human façade. But as he rose, his body carried itself slowly, shedding human pleasantries and conventions for a dark, nonhuman energy — one commanding authority and fear. His voice deepened — beautifully rich, but easily capable of embodying the deeply grotesque.

**“However. You _are_ aware that the North Sea is the body we crossed to return to your estate. The body separating the human domain — from where we formed our contract.” **Inquisitive eyes squinted, glowing a mysterious, foreboding scarlet. _A contract I can only assume — one as vindictive as yourself will not turn your back on — once you see what may be waiting on the other side._

Arms staunchly folded in front of him, Ciel remained stoic. “It’s the location of the Canicula, and presumably all the other ships that went missing. We must investigate on behalf of Her Majesty. It’s **nothing** I’m incapable of handling.” His face was tight as careful, meditated words left his mouth. “To keep this condition from interfering with our mission, we must first deduce its source. If it evades even you, then there’s only one other person.”

They would have to consult the Undertaker. As much of a nuisance as it was to retrieve information from the otherworldly funeral director, he did carry ( _somewhere_ in that _strange, strange_ mind of his) a plethora of knowledge regarding the human body, the supernatural world, and the criminal underworld. Thus, that made him an odd, but necessary ally for the Queen's guard dog.

"Certainly, my lord," Sebastian replied _—_ "human" once again. "You have your dance lesson in fifteen minutes, and unfortunately a fully-booked schedule for the rest of the day. I will schedule a visit to the Undertaker tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, please prepare to see your tutor. Your skills have been noticeably lacking in the past weeks, and she is looking forward to seeing your improvements."

_…I see. So you choose to look directly into the mirror — black ice beneath your feet — and fall deep into its cold, infinite waters, without once looking back. Reckless, foolish, and yet you acknowledge every risk. I see now that this is not a denial of our contract, but rather, just another means to your cruel end. I cannot force my master to do anything against his own will._

_However, in this contract, I am required — **to never lie.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think I'm going to be working with shorter, possibly (?) more frequent chapters for this fic. I have a bunch of scattered ideas for this fic, including merfolk and possibly even writing in the reapers. Fingers crossed they find a way! And it's a lot of fun exploring Sebastian's dark, 6edgy5me demon side. >:)


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